Foot Stress Fracture

• Be safe with medicines. Take pain medicines exactly as directed.
  • If the doctor gave you a prescription medicine for pain, take it as prescribed.
  • If you are not taking a prescription pain medicine, ask your doctor if you can take an over-the-counter medicine. Read and follow all instructions on the label.
• Follow your doctor's instructions about how much weight you can put on your foot and when you can go back to your usual activities. Use crutches as instructed.
• If your doctor suggests it, put ice or a cold pack on your foot for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Try to do this every 1 to 2 hours for the next 3 days (when you are awake) or until the swelling goes down. Put a thin cloth between the ice and your skin. Keep your splint or cast dry.
• Prop up your foot on a pillow when you ice it or anytime you sit or lie down for the next 3 days. Try to keep it above the level of your heart. This will help reduce swelling.
• Your doctor may have recommended a cast, a splint, or a special shoe or shoe insert. Follow the instructions your doctor gave you for using any of these treatments.

Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:

• You have increased or severe pain.
• Your foot is cool or pale or changes color.
• You have tingling, weakness, or numbness in your foot and toes.
• Your cast or splint feels too tight.
• You cannot move your toes.
• You have a lot of swelling below your cast.

Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:

• Pain does not get better day by day.
• The skin under your cast or splint burns or stings.